T- lots of dark chocolaty sweetness upfront, almost lactic sweetness. The coffe kicks in mid palate, but is not overpowering, a bit subtle. The sweetness continues from start to finish with more dark chocolate and black licorice near the end with some booze on the finish

M- heavy, syrupy body with low carbonation leads to a heavy foamy mouthfeel. Sweet finish with a big alcohol burn on the finish. Surprisingly still pretty boozy considering its over a year old

More User Reviews:

Actually was lucky enough to have this twice today once on tap at the Pizza Plant,and one of the bombers I bought yesteday.Poured ink black with dark brown chocolate colored 1/2 finger head that stuck around for a short time.Well if you like dark roast coffee this one is for you it dominates the aromas along with bitter chocolate sweet alcohol.Mocha french roast coffee with a big sweet alcohol kick describes this beer its big,roasted,sticky,and sweet.Whoo this was a monster if you dont like coffee you likely wouldnt like this bad boy.

Appearance: dark brown with a healthy tan skim that fully covers the beer.

Aroma: Boozy coffee. Fresh snap pea like green fiber.

Taste/mouthfeel: Very boozy to the point that the other flavors are overwhelmed. The finish contains massive amounts of coffee bitterness and throughout the beer one can taste quite a lot of coffee, quality beans, but day-old and iced.

Drinkability: Low. This beer is too boozy and it's flavor is not interesting or bold enough to stand up to the big boys of the coffee stout world.

A: Very dark brown with a small beige head that settles rather quickly and leaves some lacings.

S: Roasted malts, wood, powdered chocolate, some notes of coffee and some strange notes of leafy peppery hops, blue cheese and cardboard. I suspect that there's something wrong here, perhaps it's on it's way to oxidation and infection.

T: There's restrained strange flavors as well. The taste is very sweet, and I mean really sugary sweet with lots of coffee and chocolate notes. The flavors are not very rich, and I don't get a genuine espresso feeling from the coffee. Roasted malts and some notes of dark fruits. Hints of cardboard and leafy hops. The finish is very bitter with notes of warming sweet alcohol, coffee and blue cheese. This is one messy beer.

M: Full bodied and smooth. The mouthfeel is the highlight of this one.

D: Hard to tell if this bottle was ok, or if there was something wrong with it. Something seemed wrong, but it wasn't a horrible mess. It was just edgy and strange with some odd flavors and aromas. But either way, it doesn't seem to be a good imperial coffee stout.

T: Not nearly as strong a coffee flavor as I was expecting. Not "burned" tasting at all. Nice and rich, sweet and deep flavor. I wouldn't call it "mocha" although there is a hint of chocolate in there.

M: Very rich, but not overly thick. Not at all syrupy or oily in texture. Very little carbonation.

D: Fairly drinkable, given its 10+% ABV. It's got a fairly balanced flavor and was enjoyable.

First impressions: A dark black pour with a lingering, caramel-colored head that gave off the aroma of cocoa and coffee. First sip reminded me of a sarsaparilla float, with coffee notes. There's a little bitterness and a bit of heat that warms the throat. The mouthfeel is above average for coffee stouts: It's creamy and full, like a scoop of ice cream was added. (Hmmm, that gives me ideas...) A very enjoyable, very drinkable beer, but I think it's enjoyed best after a big dinner and treated as a dessert.

A: Pours thick and black. Has some viscosity this one. There's a hint of brown but it's exceptionally dark. Nice espresso colored head. Only gave me a half finger head.

S: What you would expect. Roasted malt, coffee. It did have a strong believable espresso nose - really nice.

T: Like the smell but then boom - there comes the booze - kinda whisky-like. As it warmed, the alcohol become more balanced. It felt decently hopped and the combination of that and a kind of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee bitterness gave it a nice bite.

M: Massively thick and creamy - full. Some carb but silky in the mouth.

D: At a high ABV and a pronounced alcohol profile, this one was a sipper for me. I really liked it though. I prefer it to some of the boozier offerings in the style. A fine stout that would be worth revisiting.

Brewed with Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee and hopped to an insane 125 IBUs which is probably needed being as this is a massive beer.
Is there a color that is darker than black? Towering brown head pushes to the top of the glass, it looks like magic because the beer is so dark you don't see the bubbles forming the foam. Huge dark-roasted coffee and roasted malt/grain aroma, mildly acrid with a very deep espresso or French roast with hints of dark baker's chocolate and carob. Syrupy viscous full body has a rolling smoothness within. Chewy. Bitterness both from the hops, roasted malt and barley, and the coffee fuses it to a single shot of sharpness. Some warmth off of the alcohol, but it stays very well hidden for the most part. Sweetened iced espresso comes to mind, coffee syrup and bitter dark chocolate overtones. Malt redux in the middle. Levels of mocha hit the tastes buds in waves. Lots of sweetness; molasses and dark cherry juice. Freshly-used coffee grounds on the breath. Finishes with a downward spiraling dryness.

It all is balanced in a chaotic way. Coffee lovers to extreme beer fanatics are who this beer is aimed at--we are both. At 12 percent it's certainly a slow sipper, which is fine because when it warms up a bit it is even more of a treat.

22oz bomber. Vintage November 22, 2005. Dark, inky black pour with a 1/2" of deep tan head that slowly fades. Sticky lacing on the side. Aromas of dark roasted malts that are kind of sweet. Dark chocolate and a sturdy roasted coffee. Slightly burnt along with a puff of alcohol. So far so good!

First sip brings a rich dark roasted malt with a dark chocolate flavor that segues into a tasty roast coffee bean flavor. A touch of toffee and molasses works its way in with some hop bitterness and a bit of alcohol on the way down. A yummy coffee stout that's not overly sweet.

This brew is thick and viscous. It's not messing around at all, but still finds a way to be pretty drinkable at 12%. A damn tasty coffee stout. I can't wait to see this one in IL and pick up a few more bottles. Ages well.

I hadn't had any Souther Tier brews up until about 3 or 4 months ago. Then I set up a trade for a few, received some in a BIF, and then had another trade set up. This is my 7th from them. So far all have been pretty tasty and in my mind a solid brewery making some really good beers.

I dont know why I even held this up to the light. Its BLACK. Initially had a half inch thick mocha colored head that reduced to a thin layer with good retention. Not really lacing...more like sheeting. Nice!

Flavor is dark toasted everything all over again. Toffee flavors come in as opposed to chocolate, some biting chared bits. Coffee is well integrated and not over the top. Hops are still evident and show with a touch of citrus again. This one is pretty fresh from what I was told, so the hops are still showing through well. Some alcohol works well, and doesn't even come close to showing its actual strength. I'm not a hoppy stout person, but this one has just the right amount. Epitome of the American Double Stout style.

Body is creamy and full, coats the mouth and the flavor lingers for a little bit but slowly fades away. Just a touch of carbonation adds to the drinkability.

This is a superb beer. Nice full body and flavor profile. Really balanced on so many levels. Alcohol doesn't have any effect on the drinkability. Its probably dangerously drinkable.

I had this beer after drinking Fuel Cafe. I was not terribly impressed with the latter, but found Jahva to be really tasty. Poured into a snifter, it was black in color with a thin tan head that resembled an oil slick. Coffee aroma, fairly strong. Very definite coffee taste, bitter, with a sweet chocolate finish. Nice depth. If not for the 12% ABV would drink a lot of these.

This beer had many great qualities. The poor was a nice thick ebony with a golden head. The smell was of sweet molasses and espresso. The taste was chocolate and espresso and had almost no alcohol presence, making it drinkable at any time of the year.

The only criticisms would be that the body could be a bit heavier. Considering the delicious flavors, it would be great to have the flavors hang out a bit longer in the mouth and on the tongue.

A- Two fingers of semi-sticky head subside to a sturdy brown lace. A shade away from black and nearly opaque.

S- Chocolate and coffee liquor aroma, creamy with dark chocolate and roasted coffee notes. Very aromatic to say the least.

T&M- Creamy full body, just enough carbonation to roll a viscous crispness over the tongue. Iced coffee with chocolate liquor character. Blackberry and prune fruitiness, good amount of alcoholic warmth. Big chewy maltiness, juicy in the middle with overtones of roasted grain mixes well with the thick lining of coffee.

D- A sipper all of the way, but one I could sip through the night. Souther Tier is really pushing the envelope with this one, but this is what American brewing is about and I love it.

Mouthfeel is almost full bodied, with a subdued carbonation and some alcohol warmth.

The coffee is much more apparent in the taste than the aroma. Bitter chocolate, licorice, hints of dark fruits, and alcohol heat are joined by an earthy hop bitterness. The malt provides a bit of nuttiness, as well.

A very good coffee stout, but I'm not sure if imperializing these is such a good idea. Thanks to mntlover for bringing this bottle by.

Bomber bottle, "Brewed winter 2008" etched onto the bottle. Pours darkest mahogany, not quite black. A vigorous pour creates just a minor head, that quickly lays down and leaves a tiny bubble film and then very fine scattered lacing. Nose is mildly of light chocolate and cafe au lait. Rich, flavorful, complex and luxurious offering. Plenty of medium chocolate, coffee, roast beans, expresso, smoke,wood, chipotle. Yum. World class sipper, night capper, dessert accompanier. Great fresh, as this bottle was and I'm sure this one will age well for a year or two. Thick and muddy beer lovers, go get some and enjoy

Thanks to BeerPanther for recommending this one...
Pours a dense black with a full finger and a half of cocoa colored head after an agressive pour.
Half of the head remains and leaves some sticky lacing to the side of my snifter glass.
A couple of swirls to get a real nice scent out of this one...very subdued at first, but comes through with a generous amount of coffee beans, dusty chocolate powder and some earthy hops.
The taste is simply awesome if you enjoy agressive coffee stouts...in your face espresso beans and a malt sweetness that complements the chocolate/coffee flavors.
A touch of vanilla as well with a very clean finish.
Mouthfeel is thick and the carbonation is perfect IMO.
I am not sure how they can hide 12% abv so well, but it really helps the drinkability on this one and can be seriously dangerous if you are not careful to respect this one.
A solid offering from Southern Tier's "big beer" series...highly recommend.

Mouthfeel: very smooth, sweet start with a bitter middle, and a sweet finish, heavy body, thick, with next to no carbonation

Drinkability: Wow does Southern Tier do a great job with big beers. The taste exceeded my expectation after coming off a so-so smell. I love the nutty aftertaste. The coffee taste is big and pleasant. This may be my favorite coffee stout. I will look for this again.

The beer pours black with a tannish head. The aroma is chocolate and coffee, with chocolate being the more predominant. Not what I expected from an Imperial Coffee Stout. The flavor is more of the same, with chocolate being more forward and dominant than the coffee. You do get some bitterness towards the end that may be from the coffee. The mouthfeel is very silky.

This is a very good beer, just not as coffee-infused as I expected. It was sampled after having Speedway Stout and Black Xantus so maybe that muted the coffee some. Still, I enjoyed this beer.